Shelley Dowling-Holroyd lived a career most athletes only dream of. The sixth British woman ever to throw over 60 metres, English Schools record-holder, A World Championships competitor at 19, An Olympian before she turned 23, and then, in an instant, it was gone.

Two major accidents, a broken elbow, and years of fighting to keep her career alive eventually forced, Shelley out of the only life she had ever known. Not on her terms, not on her timeline, and not in a way she felt remotely ready for.

In this deeply honest conversation, Shelley opens up about the emotional crater that follows an involuntary retirement, the depression, the identity loss, the silence that comes when the structure disappears, and the moment she realised she no longer recognised herself.

But she also shares something even more powerful:

How she rebuilt her identity, rediscovered her purpose, and found belonging again through coaching and helping athletes with disabilities.

This episode is a masterclass in honesty, transition, resilience, and using your sporting past as a foundation, not a definition, for what comes next.

Key Themes & Lessons for Current Athletes:

• When retirement comes suddenly, the identity impact is real, and ignoring it only makes the fall harder

• Lost confidence, lost structure, lost purpose… these are normal, human responses, not personal failures

• Belonging matters, coaching and connection helped Shelley find herself again

• The discipline, resilience and emotional strength you gain in sport are transferable, you just need to recognise them

• Listen to older athletes, the warnings, the wisdom, the preparation they wish they’d done

• Funding doesn’t last forever, education and backup planning matter more than you think

• Your network is already huge, ask questions, be curious, use the doors your sport has opened

This is a powerful conversation for any athlete trying to understand who they are beyond their sport, and how to start building the next chapter with intention, not fear.

About the hosts

James Rule, Co-Founder of ATA, is a seasoned leadership coach and former professional rugby player with extensive experience in high-performance sports management. Having held CEO roles at Super League clubs and senior positions in major sporting organisations, he understands the pressures of transitioning beyond elite competition. A passionate advocate for athlete development, James drives ATA’s mission to provide structured, research-driven support, ensuring athletes are equipped for long-term success beyond the game.

Karl Birch, Co-Founder of ATA, is a former rugby player turned coach, mentor, and leadership specialist. With over a decade in medical sales, where he led a team, he combines industry expertise with a deep understanding of the athlete mindset to help athletes transition into meaningful careers beyond sport. Passionate about early preparation and proactive career planning, he has guided former athletes through transition, ensuring they step confidently into their next chapter.

Connect and Contact

www.athletetransitionaccelerator.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/athlete-transition-accelerator/

Instagram:

@ataccelerator https://www.instagram.com/ataccelerator

Email: support@athletetransitionaccelerator.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the podcast takes a different turn, because we’re announcing something that changes the landscape for athlete transition.

After speaking to hundreds of former elite athletes, a message became impossible to ignore:

“I wish I had explored options earlier.”

“I felt I had no time, no structure, no flexible opportunities while competing.”

“I didn’t have the confidence or the commercial skills to build something for my future.”

“If something like this had existed when I was playing… everything would have been different.”

This episode is the story of that problem, and the launch of the solution.

For the first time, ATA has partnered with Associate Yopa, one of the UK’s leading estate agencies, to create a truly athlete-led entrepreneurship pathway. A model designed by athletes, for athletes, built entirely around the realities of high-performance sport. No jargon, no theory, and no pressure. Just a structured, supported, flexible opportunity to build your own estate agency business while you compete.

Why We Built This

Based on years of conversations with athletes from rugby, football, Olympic sport, cricket, hockey and more, the pain points were consistent:

• No early preparation

• No flexible opportunities

• No commercial experience

• No confidence using networks

• No clarity about what careers fit

• And transition always hitting too late, too hard.

This partnership is a direct response, the first athlete-built pathway of its kind in the UK.

Why Associate Yopa?

We partnered with Associate Yopa because:

• They already run a proven associate model for self-employed agents

• Their infrastructure mirrors athletic learning, reps, feedback, performance

• They see athlete traits as advantages, not barriers

• They want athletes in their ecosystem

• Together we designed a system that complements performance, not competes with it

The Opportunity

Athletes can now:

• Start and run their own estate agency

• Build it around training & competition

• Create a secondary income stream

• Leverage their network & personal brand

• Build something small, steady or scalable - their choice

• Learn real commercial skills while still playing

Why It Matters

Athletes gain:

• Identity beyond their sport

• Confidence and control over their future

• Reduced pressure on performance

• A mental reset and sense of purpose

• Clarity in a space where most athletes feel lost

• The ability to build life after sport before they need it

This is how we change athlete transition in the UK.

Connect and Contact

www.athletetransitionaccelerator.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/athlete-transition-accelerator/

Instagram:

@ataccelerator https://www.instagram.com/ataccelerator

Email: support@athletetransitionaccelerator.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Few athletes have conquered the sporting world like Joyce Sombroek. Olympic gold and silver medallist, double World Goalkeeper of the Year, and Dutch field hockey legend, Joyce has stood at the pinnacle of elite sport, and faced the difficult reality of what comes next.

In this powerful and honest conversation, Joyce opens up about the injury that ended her career, the emotional challenges of stepping away from something she’d given her life to, and the deliberate, structured approach that helped her move forward. She shares how developing her identity beyond hockey, through medicine, study, and purpose, gave her a smoother transition, and why athletes must never wait until it’s too late to start thinking about life beyond the game.

Key takeaways:

• Plan your transition before you live it, don’t wait for injury or circumstance to force it.
• Your sport is part of who you are, but it isn’t all you are.
• Taking control of your transition in steps allows you to move forward with clarity, not crisis.
• Balance performance with preparation, discipline off the field can extend and enrich your career.
• If you don’t know what’s next, talk to people, try new things, and stay curious, exploration leads to clarity.

About the hosts

James Rule, Co-Founder of ATA, is a seasoned leadership coach and former professional rugby player with extensive experience in high-performance sports management. Having held CEO roles at Super League clubs and senior positions in major sporting organisations, he understands the pressures of transitioning beyond elite competition. A passionate advocate for athlete development, James drives ATA’s mission to provide structured, research-driven support, ensuring athletes are equipped for long-term success beyond the game.

Karl Birch, Co-Founder of ATA, is a former rugby player turned coach, mentor, and leadership specialist. With over a decade in medical sales, where he led a team, he combines industry expertise with a deep understanding of the athlete mindset to help athletes transition into meaningful careers beyond sport. Passionate about early preparation and proactive career planning, he has guided former athletes through transition, ensuring they step confidently into their next chapter.

Connect and Contact

Website:

www.athletetransitionaccelerator.com

LinkedIn:

Athlete Transition Accelerator: https://www.linkedin.com/company/athlete-transition-accelerator/

James Rule: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-rule-77255520/

Karl Birch: linkedin.com/in/karlbbirch10

Instagram:

@ataccelerator https://www.instagram.com/ataccelerator

Email:

support@athletetransitionaccelerator.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.